Hurrah for Fort Wayne’s News-Sentinel! They’ve posted an article with some amusing anecdotes from the filming of Paul Helmke’s “Better Know a Lobbyist: Gun Control Lobby” segment, complete with some unused questions from the taping.
Helmke takes on comedy pundit
Former mayor talks about gun control on Comedy Central’s “The Colbert Report.”
By Evan Goodenow
of The News-SentinelSecond Amendment. Great amendment or best amendment ever?
That question never made the final cut of Paul Helmke’s Tuesday night interview on “The Colbert Report,” but the former Fort Wayne mayor and president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence had plenty to answer in a nearly two-hour session that was edited into a six-and-a-half minute segment. Stephen Colbert, the lefty provocateur on the Comedy Central network whose shtick is posing as a pompous Bill O’Reilly wannabe, playfully ridiculed Helmke’s beliefs in imposing more gun regulation and restrictions.
. . .
Much of the interview – the latest in the 35,000-part Better Know A Lobby series – didn’t air. Cuts included speculation on whether President Kennedy would have been assassinated if a machine gun had been mounted on the Lincoln Continental he rode in Dallas. Also scrapped was discussion of what The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is a metaphor for and a re-enactment of the Aaron Burr-Alexander Hamilton duel featuring Nerf guns and Velcro vests.
. . .
Helmke said he considered whether he might be trivializing a serious subject by going on the show, but his concerns were outweighed by the chance to deliver his message to a younger audience that doesn’t always get news from mainstream media.
. . .
Oh, and what about the Second Amendment question – great or best amendment ever? Helmke answered neither. Colbert said he would mark it down as best.
Good to hear the Helmke was pleased by the result; I thought the final segment did a great job of highlighting issues important to gun control advocates.
Dare we hope that Comedy Central might post some of this unused footage at some point? I guess we’ll have to wait and see. In the meantime, here’s the finished segment once again: Better Know a Lobby – Gun Control
Nice article, but “hopped up on scrammers”?
And, TCR, may we please see an outtakes clip,
especially of the re-enactment of the Burr/Hamilton
duel~~Nerf guns and velcro vests?!! Too fun!
recaptcha: “to vacation”…yes, yes that’s where they are going.
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“a re-enactment of the Aaron Burr-Alexander Hamilton duel featuring Nerf guns and Velcro vests.” haha, oh man, please show that extra footage Comedy Central!
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?a re-enactment of the Aaron Burr-Alexander Hamilton duel featuring Nerf guns and Velcro vests.? …show that extra footage!!
OMG YES! Please, please! My inner history nerd will keel over.
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Oh my gosh, they HAVE to put the extra footage up! Pretty please with sugar and a cherry on top?!
(On a side note– Does anyone know why (according to the Late Night TV page) TCR is taking a break all next week and the following Monday. That just strikes me as odd. I know it’s Memorial weekend, but have they taken just a Monday off before?
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Nevermind. I didn’t realize that Memorial Day actually fell on that Monday. :)
Sorry!
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I think they’re about due for a break. Unfortunately, that will result in some major withdrawal, though not nearly as bad as the ike-stray.
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Yeah, they haven’t had a break since quite some time before Philly. They definitely deserve some down time, however much we may not like it.
reCaptcha: “players Manhatan”
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I’ll just add my voice to the chorus begging to see the re-enactment of the Aaron Burr-Alexander Hamilton duel. Video please!! *grabby hands*
(reCAPTCHA: few heroes)
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“lefty provocateur” is my new favorite phrase. nice article. i think it’s only fair if they put JStew’s 40 min interview online with that boring guy that we get more fun with nerf guns. Pretty please, CC!
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I just want to say that I’m highly amused by the moniker “J Stew”.
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I demand Alexander Hamilton duel!! I demand it!!!
okay and totally off topic:
Someone explain to me that suit he was wearing?
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The jacket was a English (or European styled) shooting jacket.
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This was a good quote: “It really leaves you wondering about what this is going to look like on television”, Helmke said. “I figure, he’s in control, he’s the funny guy, I’m the straight man and I’ll just try to go along with whatever is happening and try to make my points.”
Did Stephen’s joke about Jesus with a gun remind anyone else of the graphics TCR used for the war on Easter segments?
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Aw, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance.
I was supposedly named after someone in that :P
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“Plus, even if you shot me, it wouldn’t stop me ’cause I’m hopped up on screamers.”
I love that line. So much.
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it always bothers me a little when people say they need TCR (or TDS) to reach younger people. I’m in the 18-24 demographic, but a news site is my homepage on the browser and I have usually heard all the main stories either Jon or Stephen brings up.
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That’s great for you, and I hope it’s true of a lot of people in your demographic!
I do think, though, that there are a lot of people (of all demographics) who are sadly underinformed about any number of issues. As a result, to the extent that shows like The Colbert Report can and do reach that audience, I can only think it’s a good thing for people like Paul Helmke to appear.
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I loved the interview, and Helmke was a great sport. You could tell after the interview he couldn’t help cracking up. The Burr-Hamilton reenactment would have been golden.
I guess SC’s more versed in youth slang than me- I had to look up what screamers are.
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Hunker down people. Lets all get the Colbert rations out. We’ll need them to feed our hunger for Colbert this week.
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